Alex Waterhouse has climbed Never Ending Story (f8B+) (Font 8B+) in Magic Wood, Switzerland. First climbed by Chris Sharma in 2003, the power endurance testpiece links an 8A+ into an 8A on stunning water washed granite.

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The Never Ending Story (8B+/V14) ✅ Happy to have strung together this life tick on a short 3 day excursion to Magic Wood. Before heading down to Switzerland, I was also able to take down The Last Rites (8c+) in the Frankenjura, so this week is definitely my most productive climbing week ever. Never Ending Story is a proper marker of my progression as a climber over the years. The full line is split into two parts around a "jug" in the middle, a power endurance 8A+/V12 compression testpiece on water polished slopers from the ground to the jug and then a 8A from the jug to the top with a powerful first move. On my first trip to the wood in 2016 I climbed my first crimpy 8Bs but couldn't do either of the parts. I returned in 2018 and managed part 2 with some effort and sent part 1 after a whole session of falling on the last move. Last year, after sending New Base Line, I put a session of work into the full line but was a long way off the link. This year I returned to try and finish it off, but after 3 months of training on a head high board full of crimps I was worried that I would have no chance on the power-endurance sloper style. Fortunately, I was able to put it down on the first go of my second session after a mammoth 6 hour session the day before. 4 years ago this climb was impossible, and it felt like it would always be impossible. It was everything I was weak at. This is more proof to me that training really works, and the weaknesses that defined my climbing for years are starting to become strengths. It's not a quick process, but with the right determination and commitment the change is inevitable. On to the next! Thanks to @fyfeeboywonder for the snap 👊

A post shared by Alex Waterhouse (@waterhouseclimb) on Jul 19, 2020 at 9:38am PDT

Alex described climbing the problem as 'a proper marker' of his progression as a climber. He first tried the boulder on a trip to Magic Wood four years ago and was unable to complete either of the two sections. Two years later, he struggled on the individual sections, before putting some effort into the full line a year later. Alex told UKC:

'To get the full line done this year felt like the culmination of my time in the wood over the last few summers. I vividly remember thinking these blocs were so far outside my wheelhouse that I'd never do them, but now my climbing has come along so far that I can link them into each other. It's definitely the feeling of progress that I strive for in all parts of my climbing, but it's rare for me that it's encapsulated so well by a single boulder.'

Once the EU borders were open, Alex hopped in his van and drove out to the Frankenjura to test his lockdown training. He quickly dispatched Superskunk (8c) and Intercooler (8c) on his second and third attempts respectively. He also ticked The Last Rites (8c+) before heading down to Magic Wood.

As soon as he arrived, Alex reacquainted himself with the moves on The Never Ending Story, quickly repeating both sections and linking between the two. A monster 6-hour session ensued in which he came close, although it left him feeling quite broken the following day:

'I spent the day convinced I would be resting, but by the evening the psyche was brewing, and I went out with the intention of limiting myself to 4 goes from the start. I warmed up as the sun was going down and pulled on just as it got totally dark and was able to dispatch it first go of the night.'

Alex joins a list of strong Brits who have climbed the problem, including James Squire, Nathan Phillips and Billy Ridal. He plans to spend the summer in areas like Innsbruck, Arco and Ceuse, capitalising on his good form.

The past couple of years have seen Alex go from strength to strength. Last year he spent some time at Rumney in New Hampshire where he ticked Dave Graham's micro 9a, The Fly, as well as China Beach (8c) and Livin' Astroglide (8c+). Back in May of this year, he made the second ascent of Tom Randall's Font 8B roof crack – The Kraken – at Hartland Quay.